


Daffodils

by thenakednymph



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M, an explanation for Sarah's tattoos, and I had to write it, or at least my sarah's tattoos, so here you go, this has been stuck in my head for weeks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-11-05 16:04:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11016789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenakednymph/pseuds/thenakednymph
Summary: Sarah's tattoos have been bothering Jaal.





	Daffodils

**Author's Note:**

> Just something cute that happened in my head.

“Pathfinder, I have a query.”

Sarah paused in her mixing and blinked up at Jaal. She was wrist deep in pancake batter, frozen mid mix, arms akimbo. “Oh?”

He shifted his weight, eyes on whatever he was making for dinner on the other side of the counter. “But I am...unsure as to whether or not it is appropriate.”

Ryder cracked her neck, bouncing on the balls of her feet and shaking out her hands, throwing pancake batter, almost like she was prepping for a fight. She let out a loose breath, working out her shoulders, finally settling. “Okay,” she breathed, “hit me.” She gave him a loose grin, her crooked tooth smiling from between her lips.

It was the happiest he'd seen her in days. And to say it was up to her elbows in pancake mix was a surprise.

Jaal fiddled with the utensil in his hands before setting it aside, a deep look of concentration on his face. “These…” He stroked a finger down Sarah’s forehead, startling her. She stared at him briefly before going cross-eyed trying to look up at her own forehead. Her expression startled a laugh from Jaal as he traced the rings of dots and dashes.

“What are they?” Jaal cocked his head to the side and Sarah found herself inexplicably missing the grumpy old cat they'd used to have. The movement was oddly similar.

“I have studied them,” he said. “They have a certain rhythm, but no meaning I can discern. Is there one?”

Sarah ran her own hand down the pattern of dots and dashes across her forehead, grimacing as she left pancake batter behind. She wiped it off with the back of her arm as best she could, Jaal helping her. She snorted a giggle and bit her lip, trying to reign in her smile and failing.

“It's a tattoo, but I suppose that's obvious.” She rinsed her hands off and pushed back her bangs, showing him where the ink ended just inside her hairline. “It's an old earth poem, _Daffodils_ by William Wordsworth Longfellow. A long dead human poet.”

“And you had that permanently inked onto your forehead?” he asked in confusion.

Ryder fiddled with a spoon, stirring her batter. “It reminds me of my mother,” she said softly and Jaal almost regretted asking. Humans were funny about loss and he hated making her go through it again. But she didn’t seem to mind.

“Daffodils were her favorite.” She shrugged one shoulder, scooping batter into a fryer. “I used to read it to her, when she was in the hospital. It was the only thing that made her smile.” Her own smile was almost fond but touched with sadness. “It makes me think of her. A happy moment in a moment of sadness.”

Jaal stared at the tattoos somewhat frustrated but also fascinated and curious.”

“I have seen some of your documents. Your language does not look like this.” He gestured to her forehead again.

“That's because this is Morse code.” She tapped at the tattoos. “It’s an archaic form of communication used through something called a telegraph.” She smiled again and it was a little less sad. “My mom taught it to me. So we could talk through the walls.” She tapped her fingers on the counter. “Tap, tap tap, tap,” she said, mimicking the sounds. “It was a game of sorts I guess, or maybe she was teaching it to me so I could communicate if I ever wound up trapped. An old survival tactic.” She shook her head. “I’m not sure. I guess after she died the two seemed fitting.”

Jaal nodded thoughtfully. “So it is a memorial. A symbol and message of love for your mother and in memory of her loss.” A series of emotions crossed his face ending in a smile before he continued. “How very...angaran of you.”

Sarah flushed. “I never really thought of it that way, but yeah. I guess you're right.” She flipped her pancake. “What a lovely idea. I can send you a translation of it if you’d like. And more information on Morse code?” she offered.

Jaal’s face brightened at the offer. “I would like that.”  


End file.
